SAN DIEGO – Point Loma University was able to salvage a split with the visiting Dixie State baseball team Friday afternoon. After getting drilled by the Red Storm bats in the first game and falling 5-1 in the opener, the Sea Lions looked at a 4-0 deficit going into the bottom of the eighth. They were able to get the runs they needed to take it into extra innings, winning in the 11th, 6-5.
For the Red Storm, the Pac West Conference title is still two wins (or two Azusa Pacific losses) away as DSU has a four-game lead See the PWC standings here.
Dixie jumped out quickly in the first inning of game one when Tyler Blair singled in Trey Kamachi. Three innings later Donald Glover was batted in by Drew McLaughlin on a single through the left side. The Red Storm put up two more in the fifth. Kamachi scored his second run of the inning on a shot to the gap in right center field by Kris Kaplan. Kevin Kline scored later in the inning on a fielder’s choice.
The Sea Lions got their sole run of the game in the seventh on a bases-loaded walk, scoring Harwick. The Red Storm capped the scoring in the eighth inning when Blair singled in Yuto Kata.
Chance Abrath got the win, facing 23 batters in 6 2/3 innings, allowing only three hits and one run. Abrath moved to 6-1 on the season and Matt Hill picked up the save. Kellen Sheppard took the loss, sitting at 4-4.
The Dixie batters got 15 hits and batted collectively over .400 for the game. They also matched Point Loma with zero errors for the game.
The second game started as a defensive pitching battle, pitting Dixie State starter John Conquy against Kevin Lillicrop. Both pitchers scattered three hits apiece over the first five innings.
That ended in the sixth when Dalton Gust started the inning with a solo shot. Lillicrop retired the next three batters. Conquy continued his dominance, striking out two in the bottom of the inning.
Blair and Kaplan added to Gust’s home run in the next inning, both solo shots. And after another scoreless inning for the Sea Lions, DSU led 3-0 after seven.
The Red Storm added another run in the eighth. Gust led off with a double to center field. He advanced to third on a fielder’s choice and got across home on Kata’s sacrifice bunt. Going into the bottom of the eighth, the Red Storm led 4-0.
Conquy’s dominance took a hit in the eighth when the Sea Lions put three hits together. Jack Spohn started the inning with a single up the middle. Mike Marcoux followed with a single to the right side, advancing Spohn to second. Both runners advanced again on a sacrifice bunt by Marcus Heisner. Spohn then scored on a Clinton Harwick single through the left side. Marcoux capped the scoring on a fielder’s choice.
Conquy called it a night after eight and was replaced by Parker. Kyle Desimone started the inning with a double to right field. Preston Sands then reached on a fielding error. Both runners advanced on a fielder’s choice. Marcoux then doubled in both runs bringing the game to a 4-4 tie.
After a scoreless 10th, Austin Bartleson gave the Red Storm hope with a solo shot in the top of the 11th. The Sea Lions quickly knotted the score when Marcoux again batted in Torres for the tying run. Marcoux later scored the winning run when Harwick hit a two-out single to right field.
Hill took the loss, falling to 2-2 on the season. Brett Carlile got the win for Point Loma and is 4-5.
Both teams had 13 hits. Dixie had two fielding errors. The split moves DSU to 30-14 overall, 21-5 in conference play. Point Loma ends the day at 21-22, 12-14 in the Pac West. The two teams will resume play Saturday with another doubleheader beginning 1 p.m. Pacific Time.
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